Cam Break-In, Experienced feedbackers needed
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
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From: des moines, iowa
Cam Break-In, Experienced feedbackers needed So im putting heads/cam in my 99 T/A. the cam i got is a howards cam. in the cam card it says for flat tappet cam break-in, on very first start to run the motor up to 2500 rpm for 10 mins. shut it down, let it cool completely, and then run it at 2500 rpm for another 10 mins. in big bold letters it says DO NOT LET CAR IDLE ON FIRST START, is this necessary? i cant imagine firing up a dry motor and running it immediately to 2500 rpm can be good? especially since i have fresh valve springs, dont they need to be run at low rpm until the motor is hot and then allowed to cool to harden? I used ARP assembly lube on everything and i plan to use a light weight conventional oil like 5w20 for a few thousand miles. Any feedback please, thankyou.
Yeah, I don't understand that one. You'll want to establish oil pressure first before you even attempt to rev up the motor. Howards? Never heard of them.
They might be thinking of heat cycles, but I don't understand the 2500 rpm thing to cycle it.
They might be thinking of heat cycles, but I don't understand the 2500 rpm thing to cycle it.
You have a roller camshaft, that is for a flat tappet just like the instructions say. There is no break in for a roller.
Like 00MaroonZ28 said, oil pressure should have been established first anyways.
Like 00MaroonZ28 said, oil pressure should have been established first anyways.
Yup no break in for roller cams. Just heat cycle the valve springs a few times and your ready to rock.
Hang on. So you installed this cam already??!?!!
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
Do some research before you give this guy a stroke.
http://www.howardscams.com/index.php...=291&Itemid=11
http://www.howardscams.com/index.php...=291&Itemid=11
Well, if he got it installed then that would be one thing. If it has a dist gear thats another. Also, they either don't know what they are selling or how to advertise it on that site. Look at the rocker ratio they have on there. change that to a 1.7 and those would be some big *** cams.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
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From: des moines, iowa
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: des moines, iowa
Hang on. So you installed this cam already??!?!!
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
Yikes... Did it come with the solid/flat tappet lifters? Hate to tell you this, but you got an SBC cam. Howards has been around for a while, but they do not have LS1 parts just BBC and SBC Ford/Chevy/Chrysler stuff. It wont work for a number of reasons but also because you dont have a distributor or dist gear. I'm not sure, but it may work in an LT1/4.
Take it back or ship it back.
No worries, Howards sends that card with the VE's for the cam with every cam they ship, even hydraulic roller LS1 cams. You'll be fine, no special break-in needed. 
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
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From: des moines, iowa
great thanks guys! so are there any specifics for break-in duration? i am planning on using a 5w20 conventional oil, but how many miles should i run this oil, and how many miles between the first few changes before its "broke-in"?
you should be fine with the oil youve been running.
LS cams must have been a fairly new edition to their lineup. Last catalogue I flipped through at the parts store had nothing about LSX anything.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
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From: des moines, iowa
well i run mobil 1 5w30 normally, with lucas oil additive. so it should be fine to just go ahead and dump in my mobil 1? probably without the additive for the first 3k miles? no light oil or low rpm for so many miles? i know about the heat cycling on the springs, i plan on getting it good and hot and then letting it cool down overnight a few times before i take it over 3k rpm
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 85
Likes: 0
From: des moines, iowa
why shouldnt i run lucas additive? ive had as many good opinions as i have bad on that. my final deciding factor was the tiny metal particles in my oil (which after i pulled the cam out decided it was probably from my front cam bearing) so i decided to try it, the guy at carquest, also an f-body junkie, said he ran it and reccomended it if i was going to run anyhting. what is your opinion on that? and the springs are dual gold springs, are you sure they will be fine without heat cycling?
I wouldn't worry about the additives. The break in for the springs won't be that long. Just let the engine warm up before you hammer on it. Cold springs don't like that.
